1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a variety of embodiments. At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to the field of intravascular medical devices, and more particularly to the field of catheters such as angioplasty, neurological and guide catheters, among others, which may be used in various medical procedures such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) as well as in procedures involving the placement of medicines and medical devices within the body.
Some embodiments of the invention are directed to all forms of catheters which may be advanced through a body lumen or vessel. Some examples of catheters are over-the-wire (OTW) catheters, such as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,045; single-operator-exchange (SOE) balloon catheters, such as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,594 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,552. Other examples of catheters which may incorporate the unique features of the present invention include rapid-exchange style balloon catheters, MONORAIL® dilatation catheters available from SciMed Life Systems, Inc. of Maple Grove, Minn., etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Intravascular diseases are commonly treated by relatively non-invasive techniques such as PTA and PTCA. These angioplasty techniques typically involve the use of a balloon catheter. In these procedures, a balloon catheter is advanced through the vasculature of a patient such that the balloon is positioned proximate a constriction in a diseased vessel. The balloon is then inflated and the constriction in the vessel is opened. In other uses a catheter may be used to deliver an endoprosthesis such as a stent, graft, stent-graft, filter or other implantable or optionally implantable device or devices herein after collectively referred to as a stent or stents. Where a stent is to be delivered into a body lumen the catheter may include one or more inflatable portions or balloons. Typically, the stent is retained in the predelivery state about the catheter shaft, or a portion thereof such as a balloon, by crimping and/or through the use of a retaining mechanism such as sleeve, sheath or sock.
Balloons and balloon catheters may be particularly useful for the delivery of stents. Stents and catheters used in their delivery are commonly used and as such their structure and function are well known.
Many rapid exchange catheters, including some types of balloon catheters, comprise a proximal portion, often include a hypotube which can be constructed from a variety of non-thermoplastic and/or metallic material(s). This hypotube is joined to a distal outer shaft portion of the catheter at a port area by using a mid-shaft tube that connects the catheter sections together. Typically, the outer shaft is at least partially constructed of a polymer substance. The port area is the area of the catheter where the proximal guide wire exits the catheter assembly such as is shown in the PRIOR ART drawing labeled FIG. 1. A core wire or other member can aid in support of the mid-shaft area.
A goal of the present invention is to provide a more simplified and efficient catheter assembly design that avoids the necessity of a mid-shaft tube to link the distal outer to the hypotube, as well as to avoid the use of a core wire.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.